In a significant development in the fiscal cliff standoff, Republican Sen. Tom Coburn, a leading deficit hawk, said Wednesday he would support higher tax rates on wealthier Americans as part of a broader deal with President Barack Obama and congressional

Friday December 7, 2012, 2:52 am
If you've been keeping up with the news, republicans are okay with letting the Bush tax expire on the rich. They are asking for spending cuts to balance the new $1.4 trillion in spending. Republicans are asking for a balanced approach and Obama isn't capable of compromise. In fact, he isn't capable of sitting down face to face with the republicans to do what he was elected to do.....do what is right for the American people. Obama's massive ego fills up a room and it prevents him from being a "leader."

Friday December 7, 2012, 9:50 pm
I do hope that Obama will stand his ground - why should greed be an excuse for multimillionaires/billionaires to not pay their fair share of taxes, in order to throw even more burden onto people already impoverished by the greed of 'job creators' who have increased their wealth at the expense of the rest of the country, by underpaying those bearing a higher proportion of the tax burden, relative to their (inadequate) incomes?

Saturday December 8, 2012, 3:44 am
Does this do any good if the House of Representatives does not pass the bill? However, it may be that he will inspire other Republicans to vote with their innate ethical sense rather than what they have been told to do by organizations like ALEC.

Saturday December 8, 2012, 1:05 pm
A few of them are leaking out. They aren't "in" the fox cult. I'd bet we see 2 or 3 more defectors in a short time.

All the people, some of the time thing.

This is NO time for spending cuts. That would just hurt every one. Drive the country back over the cliff. Bush/rove designed this crash that way. If not for the right wing obstructionists, it wouldn't have worked. But they put fox into place. Almost guaranteeing it...Almost.

Saturday December 8, 2012, 7:04 pm
Why the wealthy, including all of our politicians, can pay a little more is disgusting. They can all rut in their richman's hell for all I care. They have no care for the people....just for their bank accounts. Thanks Cal

Saturday December 8, 2012, 11:01 pm
Since Reagan came into office the income of the rich has tripled, the income of the middle class hasd flattened despite a tripling of productivity and the income of the poor has decreased. So of course the Republicans want the lion's share of the fix to be paid for by the poor and middle class. Our problem hasn't been caused by spending on the safety net, it's been the rich and corporations failing to pay their share. When we were at our economic peak the top marginal rate was 91% and 51% of taxes were paid by corporations. Kennedy lowered the top rate, but ended the loopholes, so that the 70% under him brought in the same revenue as the 91% under Ike. When Reagan came in the rich had a top marginal rate of 74% and corporations paid 35% of taxes. He lowered it to 28% and caused an immediate recession which he ended by raisig taxes on the poor and middle class 12 times. And now corporations pay 9% of the total.

Now a rational person would say that the problem is that the rich and the corporations should have their rates raised drastically, but Republicans say the lower classes should bear the brunt of fixing the problem while the rich pay a pittance. Once again, there are only 5 reasons to be a Republican, ignorance, stupidity insanity, bigotry and greed. There is no legitimate reason to be a Republican.

Sunday December 9, 2012, 6:19 am
@ Robert K - You cannot currently send a star to Robert..... You deserve thousands for your post. Diane O will have to go back to her ill informed news reports (ala faux noise) to come up with a rebuttle, this may take some time.

Obama has been willing to compromise but only a small handful of Republicans are willing to break away from the hold the Tea Party has on them. If they make the baggers angry they are afraid they won't get re elected. Boehner is NOT in control of Congress or this could have been settled long ago. Letting the Bush tax cuts expire is what needs to happen. Republican politicians are "wagging the dog" once again still not willing to acknowledge that this is what the majority of people want and why Obama won the past two elections.

Sunday December 9, 2012, 7:44 pm
Well, I'm glad that Diane O. wrote so tellingly precisely the day before Pres. Obama sat down , mano a mano with clown Boehner. You want to see intransigence!!?? Look Boehner into his eyes.
The Reagan presidency pulled off a major re-distribution of wealth, upwards, giving the wealthy huge tax breaks. It is more than time to start to rectify this malfeasance!